The invention relates to the food industry and can be used in the dairy industry, in particular, in milk processing plants.
One of the ways for the dairy industry to update the structure of healthy eating is to improve the appeal of dairy products in order to create conditions for healthy and sustainable living. Among other actions, this includes supplying the population with quality food products that would supplement the human body with vitamins, minerals, and other vital substances, which, if misbalanced, can cause many grave diseases. When a product is protected from spoilage by microorganisms, the losses from spoiling are reduced, and when a product has a long shelf life, it can be provided to a larger number of people.
The description of the present invention clearly demonstrates how the embodiments of the present invention directed at solving this problem can be implemented in industry to produce dairy products by applying the technical means and technology disclosed in the present invention.
A method for irradiating milk with laser beams is known in the art (RF Patent #2019515, IPC C 02 F 1/30, published Sep. 15, 1994). A method for milk enrichment based on the irradiation of pasteurized milk with laser beams to increase its biological value is known in the art (USSR Patent #1794288, IPC A 23 C 1/00, 1990).
One of the important factors that additionally affects the quality and shelf life of dairy products is industrial sanitation. Physical, microbiological, and chemical contamination of the processing equipment results in the introduction of hazardous materials and impurities into the raw materials and finished products, proliferation of microorganisms, and rise of metabolic products thereof (toxin, etc.), which are hazardous to the health of food product consumers. Microfloral activity causes a sharp rise in the acidity of raw milk during storage, as microorganisms grow within.
A method for treating industrial processing equipment with “Calgonit NN 5454” preparation comprising an alkaline component, various surfactants and water softeners (sequestrants) or with the nitric acid-based “Calgonit Yalu Zauer Plus” preparation, additionally comprising special additives enhancing the cleaning properties and inhibitors reducing the effect of nitric acid on stainless steel is known in the art. (Modern Solutions to Sanitation and Hygiene Problems in Dairy Industry. http:w.w.w.klintech-m.ru/127/. Cleaning and Disinfecting in Dairy Industry//Kazakh Food and Food Processing Industry, 2008, #6, p. 22).
A method for sanitizing milk processing equipment, comprising removal of product residue with water, addition of an alkaline cleaning agent (sodium hydroxide) and circulation inside the object being washed, rinsing with water to remove all traces of the alkaline cleaning agent, addition of an acidic cleaning agent (nitric acid) and circulation inside the object being washed, and rinsing with water to remove all traces of the acidic agent, is known in the art. (Zh. I. Kuzina, O. P. Burygin, Cleaning the Ultrafiltration Devices//Dairy Industry, 2007, #2, p. 73).
The disadvantages of the invention of the RF Patent #2019515 are the low efficiency of disinfecting the liquid and high specific energy consumption.
Another method found in the prior art, the USSR patent #1794288, is inefficient. In addition, this method is intended for the enrichment of milk with free calcium only, as well as with vitamins E and C. Thus, altering the main milk ingredients and characteristics, destroying the vitamins and enzymes, and causing other undesirable changes resulting in the reduction of the product's nutritional and biological value, said method does not completely eliminate these disadvantages. In addition, the total milk acidity, serving as a criterion of its quality and shelf life, is reduced in said method by less than 1° T.
The use of cleaning agents manufactured by the Calvatis Gmbh Company (Germany) under the trade name “Calgonit” is an expensive way to improve the quality of the cleansing process because of the high cost of the preparations. Therefore, it cannot be disregarded that the vast majority of dairy manufacturers can't afford using all but the least expensive and most widely available cleaning agents.
Cleaning with low-cost agents is known to be primitive and inefficient due to the weak cleansing ability of sodium hydroxide and nitric acid. High surface tension of their solutions, which doesn't allow for a complete wetting of the contaminated surface, results in a partial dissolution of the organic and mineral deposits, including milk stone. The latter inhibits heat transfer, lowers the production capacity of the processing equipment, shortens its operational cycle, and increases its heat requirements. The pockets with insufficient flow rate of the cleaning solution collect product residue, which become an active source of fungus, mold, and E. coli. An improper aseptic treatment of the equipment greatly increases the danger of contaminating the dairy products with pathogenic microorganisms, which adversely affects the shelf life and safety of food products.
The objective of the present invention is to increase the shelf life of dairy products by reducing the acidity of the incoming raw milk by 2° T-3° T, increasing the antibacterial stage, improving milk quality as determined by bacterial count and heat resistance, optimizing the sanitizing process of the processing equipment used in the majority of milk processing plants by using caustic soda and nitric acid and boosting the cleaning effect of their solutions.